Grendel's Mother
Grendel's Mother is a character described in the early medieval Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, where she is the second of three creatures who battled the titular hero - the first being her son Grendel and the third being the Dragon. Although her exact nature isn't clear, she's usually depicted as a monstrous humanoid, much like her son. History Grendel and his mother are described as descendants of the Biblical Cain, but are no longer human, with Grendel being specifically described as a giant man-eating humanoid beast. They lived in a cavern under a lake in Denmark, close to Heorot, which was the great hall of King Hrothgar. As Grendel was terrorizing Heorot and devouring several men, the hero Beowulf took upon himself the task of slaying the monster. After he did so, Grendel's Mother attacked the place, seeking revenge for the death of her son. Beowulf ventured into her underwater lair and was almost killed in combat. Although neither Grendel not his mother could be harmed by conventional weapons, Beowulf used an ancient sword believed to have been forged by giants and managed to decapitate his opponent. He also found Grendel's body and cut off its head in order to present it to the king, but the beast's blood was so corrosive it caused the sword's blade to dissolve, leaving only the hilt behind. Appearance and interpretations As she isn't described in detail, it's hard to say much about the nature of Grendel's Mother. It's almost certain that she isn't human, as she possesses the same viciousness, extreme strength and durability as her son, and possibly the same toxic blood as well. Having been in contact with her blood prior to Grendel's may have been a factor that contributed to the sword's destruction, even though it only dissolved completely after Beowulf used it to cut Grendel's head off. It's also clear that Grendel's Mother is an even more formidable adversary than Grendel, as she subdues Beowulf with her bare hands and comes very close to killing him with a dagger. As she lives in a lake, it's commonly believed that she represents some sort of water creature. On the other hand, some scholars have offered far less monstrous interpretations of Grendel's Mother. Unlike Grendel, she didn't prey on the humans, neither did she become hostile until after her son got killed and she took upon the task of avenging him, which would be considered a noble act at the time. In the poem, Grendel's Mother is described as "ides, aglæcwif". "Ides" has been commonly translated as "lady", which could suggest an air of intrinsic nobility. "Aglæcwif", the most controversial word, appears to be derived from "aglæca", combined with the suffix "wif" ("woman"). The word "aglæca" is used several times in the poem to refer to both Beowulf and his opponents (Grendel and the Dragon included), and is therefore thought to mean something along the lines of "warrior", "combatant" or "fierce fighter". Therefore, Grendel's Mother was being described as a warrior lady. Elsewhere, she is also described as a "merewif" ("lake woman"), which again suggests an aquatic humanoid of some sort. It's worth-noting that the mythical water creatures called Grindylows from English folklore are believed to be etymologically-linked to Grendel, so the name of the beast would already suggest a flesh-eating lake monster of the more humanoid variety. Category:Legendary Creatures Category:Sentient Beings Category:Sapient Beings Category:Dead Characters Category:Females Category:Humanoids Category:Unnamed Creatures Category:Danish Characters Category:Literary Creatures Category:Live Action Creatures Category:Movie Creatures Category:Animated Creatures Category:Characters Portrayed by Angelina Jolie Category:Characters Portrayed by Layla Roberts Category:Comic Book Creatures Category:Video Game Creatures Category:Unknown Species Category:Paramount Universes